Corsica: scratching the surface of this dreamy island

Roadsides bursting with blooms, darting green lizards, towering mountains dusted with snow, pristine beaches of white sand and not a football shirt in sight, despite the Euros being played, is how I’ll remember the beautiful island of Corsica. 

Top of the list of flora is the Italian Strawflower or ‘Eternelle’, whose mild curry scent hangs in the dusty air almost everywhere you go, but every border is bursting with multi-coloured oleander, lavender, honeysuckle, bougainvillea and African lilies, as well as olives and figs. It’s a beautiful island with a dramatic landscape. Breathtakingly so. 

Walking the flower-lined path from the pool to our apartment, on the outskirts of L’Ile-Rousse, in the north of the island, small green, stripy lizards flashed across the path, rudely disturbed from sunbathing. We once saw a grass snake catching the rays too. 

We visited Corsica in late June/early July for a week of sun-worshipping. 

About Corsica

Enjoying a shoulder ride from neighbouring, Italian Sardinia, Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Rome, about three hours on the ferry from Marseilles. 

The mountainous island is 114 miles in length and has a population of around 340,000, with its capital being Ajaccio on its east coast. The closest Mediterranean island to the UK, it’s 105 miles from France and 56 miles from Italy. It is French in origin but has many Italian influences, especially in its food.

Corsicans speak a mixture of French, Italian and Corsican, the latter of which you’ll see on signs around the island, alongside French. 

How to get to Corsica

We flew London Gatwick to Calvi, a teeny tiny airport in the north of the island, with EasyJet. There are apparently four airports on the island. Gatwick isn’t the easiest airport for us to get to, but there’s no aren’t many flights to Calvi, to be honest, so you get what you’re given. 

Surprisingly, meet and greet parking close to the north terminal (car park 6, level 5), was way cheaper than expected, at around £115 for a week. Although there was little meeting, let alone greeting, and annoyingly, we had to wait 20 minutes for our car on departure, despite calling when we landed.

What’s the weather like in Corsica?

Like everywhere, Corsicans had an odd start to summer this year, with only 10 days of sun in June, when it’s generally much sunnier, I’m told. 

We enjoyed temperatures of between 25 and 30 degrees on most days, although there were two days which were partially cloudy, but still hot. They provided reason to shop!

How to get around Corsica

We booked a hire car via booking.com which was around £450 for a medium-sized vehicle. Latterly, I saw there was a special offer on the same site and could get one for half price, so booked again, cancelled the previous booking, got an immediate refund and had the same vehicle for much less. 

On arriving at Calvi, the (smile free) lady at the Budget desk very efficiently gave us the keys, directed to the car (which was parked seconds away) and off we went, as did she. She must’ve been waiting for us to arrive, so she could get to the beach. 

I was instructed to drop luggage off at the micro-terminal when I returned the vehicle, then drive to the nearby drop off, which I did. It seems Corsican Budget car rental staff share the same urgency to get to the beach, as the chap who checked over the car shared a similar smile-free vibe as his female colleague and drove me the short distance to the terminal at break neck speed, the seat belt gong chiming as his wasn’t being used. He also harangued me (in French) for not parking close to the reception, despite there being no parking spaces.

We had a Toyota C-HR hybrid for the weekend, which liked to chime ALOT! That said, we only had to put about €16 of fuel on return, so bravo noisy-yet-economical little car. 

Roads we drove on were single carriageway and winding, as they hugged the coastline, offering lovely views of the beaches. The road we travelled appeared to be the main one around the island and it took about half an hour from Calvi to L’Ile-Rousse.

Wherever you drive, you’ll see Citroen Maharis – the French car company’s answer to the Mini Moke which, despite looking like they’ve been made out of Lego, cost about £25,000 to buy. But how I want one!

Car hire isn’t essential, as there is plenty to do in resort, but if you want to explore, like we did, you’ll need your own wheels, rather than relying on taxis. Plus, I wouldn’t want to drag my shopping uphill to our apartment. You also have to dispose of your rubbish at a communal site on the edge of town, if you are self-catering, so having a car helped.

Best beaches in Corsica

We were here for the beaches and what beaches they were. Think stretches of white sand, gently shelving into crystal clear water, many backed by sand dunes. 

L’Ile-Rousse itself has two main beaches fringed with a selection of cutesy cabanas or restaurants, which hire out sun beds, parasols and tables at around €20 a day. They don’t badger you to order drinks all day, as other places I’ve been to do, but a sun lounger is the perfect place to sip a pina colada or sex on the beach from, is it not! Gentle music wafts out, as does the smell of fresh pizza and fish. We loved Tamaris, where we also lunched. 

By far my favourite beach was Junquidou, also known as Ghjunchitu, seven miles north of L’Ile-Rousse, as recommended by Emile, the host at our accommodation. Turn off the coast road and you’re taken along a bumpy track which is steep in places and where you might lose your exhaust if you’re not careful. 

The bumpy track takes you to a restaurant car park which patrons can use. Others can park along the road. 

The beach is wild, backed by dunes and mountains and adjoins another (Bodri). No sun loungers here, so put your towel down on the sand. Dogs are allowed on beaches here and, missing my own, it was lovely to watch those well-behaved French ones swim with their owners (I was jealous).

The simply stunning Restaurant Junquidou is the cherry on top of this beautiful wild beach, on which there are also rocks on which to perch your towel, if you don’t like the sand. 

Calvi also has an excellent swathe of white sandy beaches, which form part of the large, circular bay, open to the wider sea only at points 10 o’clock to 1 o’clock. 

Beach cabanas abound, proving a patchwork of different colour sun loungers and parasols. Be warned, some get booked in advance so book ahead to avoid disappointment. We found saved at one called Nina Plage, with lovely powder blue and white parasols, where we also lunched (and had lovely cocktails). 

After a day on the beach, you can mooch around the harbour, shops and restaurants in Calvi. It’s lovely, but we preferred L’Ile-Rousse, which seemed less busy and less touristy. 

Who visits Corsica?

On arrival in Calvi, disembarking passengers on the EasyJet flight were predominantly wholesome-looking walkers in grey cycling shorts, with rucksacks and walking boots. As gorgeous as those mountains were – and the views from them must’ve been sublime – the thought of putting heavy boots and socks on, trekking up there in the heat, until you reached the snow line, was the furthest you could get from what we had planned. 

I’m told that Corsica is home to the most challenging walking trail in Europe – the GR20. I am confident that I will never experience it. It also has four ski resorts.

In towns and on the beaches, accents were mainly French and Italian. We only heard about four other English accents, plus occasional German and Dutch holidaymakers, but they too were in the minority.

Schools not having broken for summer yet, there weren’t that many children on beaches either.

In one cabana, a gaggle of tres chic models arrived, sitting with long legs crossed, handbag dogs being carried and cigarettes being puffed (a lot more young people seem to smoke here).

Where to stay in Corsica

I first really started to think about Corsica as a holiday destination for us, other than two friends having visited and loved it, came when booking.com flashed an ad across my social media for Lile-Rousse, which I’d never heard of. My adult daughters and I always like to stay somewhere that none of us has been before and we’d been considering either a Greek island or the Italian coast. 

Looking more at the images I’d seen online, Corsica won me over. Our chosen accommodation was a two-bedroom, two toilet apartment at Domaine de Marella. Tip: book directly with the charming Emile and you’ll get a better deal.

Emile is an excellent host and keeps a tight ship, with these four-year-old, beautiful, well-equipped apartments in tip top condition. They are squeaky clean and have everything you need, including hairdryer, which is great if you have hand luggage and don’t want your take up space by packing one. 

If there’s anything you can’t find, Emile is busying around on site all day, watering the beautiful plants and cleaning the pristine pool, and he also lives just spitting distance away. He gave a very thorough check in and recommended beaches to us, including the lovely one at Junquidou.  

Our apartment, Buis 1, was peaceful, modern and had views out to sea from its spacious balcony, so we could watch the ferries to the mainland come and go in the distance. There is a lounge, gym and laundry room on site too. 

Flora abounds and I recently discovered that, if you take a picture of a plant or tree on your iPhone, scroll up and it tells you what it is. No need for apps.

Don’t trust your sat nav, when looking for Domaine de Marella. My iPhone first took me to the port, wanting me to go the wrong way down a one-way street while the market was on, then wanted to take me 25 minutes up into the mountains. Follow the coast road towards Monticello and you’ll see the residence on the right. 

It was a 10-15 minute gentle walk downhill from our apartment to the beach (stay at one of the beach cabanas for sun downers, when the sun has cooled so you don’t have to lug your beach bags up hill on the way back). It’s not massively steep but it is warm!

There are paths only for part of the walk, so you have to walk on the edge of the road, but it’s well-lit at night and I only feared for my life once. 

What’s L’Ile Rousse like?

Drive along the coast road and you might be tempted to pass this little gem, named after the red island in its bay. You can’t see its beaches from the road and the approach isn’t remarkable. But pass it and you’d be missing out. 

Beyond the pretty, dusty town square, with shade provided by tall trees, there’s the daily market, selling fish, sausages, honey and fresh fruit and vegetables, held in a columned building with Roman origins. 

Around these narrow, winding streets are a plethora of cafes, restaurants and shops. It’s chic, without being snobby. Think more independent little boutiques and gift shops, rather than designers. It’s a very nice place to be, with boules tournaments and bands popping up in the square. 

Where to eat in Corsica

A devout foodie, I only had one or two meals that I absolutely loved. The others were good, but the food didn’t quite compare on the whole to other parts of France I’ve visited, where I’ve found it to be beyond excellent.

The best meal I had was at Restaurant Junquidou, where we sat in highly Instagrammable seats, overlooking the crystal clear, turquoise sea. I had the octopus carpaccio, beautifully dressed with tapenade, capers and salad, and my daughter had Caesar salad, both of which were utterly delicious. Chicken in Caesar is the breaded variety in Corsica. 

Meals were washed down with cocktails and service was as beautiful as the surroundings. We shared  tiramisu for dessert, which was the most delicious we’d ever had. 

A word of warning….this restaurant didn’t accept bank cards (cash only) and it’s a long way to a cash machine. Tip: check menus for the CB sign with a cross through it before you take a seat. Luckily, the charming young (and handsome) waiter said if we left some ID, we could return later during the week to pay, which we did – and he greeted me like an old friend!

In general, cash is still king in Corsica, so have some on you. While the UK seems to be phasing out notes, you’ll also find several shops don’t accept bank cards for transactions under €15 to €20. 

In L’Ile-Rousse, I’d recommend crossing the dusty square (dodging the pétanque players in doing so) and heading to the streets around the Roman market for dinner. 

A memorable meal was had at P’tit Thai in L’Ile-Rousse, as it was one of only two places in town which offered vegan options for my plant-based daughter (see below). I don’t often stray from anything but the local cuisine when away, but the massaman curry was delightful, as were the cocktails and lovely service. 

My eldest was also glad of the punctuation of protein (tofu) in her otherwise leafy week!

Le Grand Bleu was a lovely setting for dinner in L’Ile-Rousse, sitting outside on the terrace, and the sea bream fillet was fresh and delightful, as was the chat with the waiters (who were especially friendly when they discovered my daughter played Monopoly on her phone and they huddled together to share unwanted cards – or something like that). Another lovely night. 

We had dinner at Le Marinella, sister restaurant of Tamaris (its Instagram page doesn’t do it justice – it’s beautiful), directly on the sand, in our little town and it was the most breathtakingly stunning setting. 

Barefoot staff served us and the seafood was so very fresh. I had the sole meunière, which was delicious, while one of daughters had three large dollops of scrumptious pasta with langoustines. 

I’d read about and seen pictures of La Bergerie, about 5-7 minutes uphill from our apartment, when I was looking for somewhere to stay. I only didn’t book as they only had a triple room left and my daughters can’t abide my snoring! That said, I can’t imagine anywhere better to stay than Domaine de Marella, in hindsight. 

It’s an hotel with renowned restaurant, which is one of the mostly aesthetically pleasing I’ve ever seen. Step through the covered archway and you’re into an enchanting courtyard, draped in bougainvillea, with static vintage Fiat 500 complete with wicker basket on the back, chi chi rustic wooden tables, lamps and stones, all in the same earthy hues. 

We booked ahead and ordered a vegan dish for my daughter (couscous, vegetables and fried onions). It’s a simple menu with few choices, but centres around fresh, local fish. I had ‘liche’ (leerfish). which I’d never had before, and was told it was like a white tuna, simply served with lemon sauce, couscous and vegetables (€31). My other daughter just ordered the soupe de poisson (redder than those she’s had in the past). 

We didn’t have a dessert (which is probably why we weren’t offered a free digestif, like everyone else seemed to receive), but options included three different types of apple tart – one with meringue, one with ice cream and another with strawberries. They looked huge and the meringue very fluffy. 

A place we ate twice at was Terra D’Amore (with a little heart in the pavement outside), which served simple tacos (fish, chicken, pork and vegetarian), served on little wooden tables in Rue Napoléon, in the oldest part of L’Ile Rousse (tacos around €17 each). I broke my rule about local cuisine again, but predominantly for the vegan in our midst. 

I’m glad we did, the young staff were charming, friendly and offered us free digestifs at the end of both meals. They also remembered us and waved at us from the street. I think I’m right in saying the chef is Venezuelan. 

Cocktails were great (and my daughter was offered a free tequila shot when she went up to pay). 

Dining out in Corsica generally isn’t cheap, with the average main course costing from around €24 to €31. Cocktails are around €10 to €12 a pop. 

Are vegans catered for in Corsica?

While there is one vegan/vegetarian cafe in town, we told one waiter my daughter was végétalienne (French for vegan) and he replied that he didn’t know what that meant and offered her fish. 

Despite the renowned vegan chef (Alexis Gauthier) being French, that’s a view commonly shared by many restaurants in Corsica, none of which had a vegan option on the menu. She got used to ordering a poke bowl and asking to asking for it without cheese, fish or chicken. 

That said, all supermarkets (we loved E Leclerc in town, where cold mist is pumped over fresh produce) had a wealth of plant-based products, including vegan chicken, an aisle full of tabbouleh and more humus than you could shake a stick at. 

There are delightful cabins selling fresh fruit and vegetables along the side of the roads, so we stocked up on peaches, salad, local olive oil and a rotisserie chicken (which came smothered in soft, roasted vegetables) and ate at home one evening, so the vegan wouldn’t have to struggle with the menus in town.

We left Corsica heavy-hearted, after a great week, as Emile stood at the top of the drive and waved us off. While there is so much of the world left to explore, we’d love to one day return and explore more of the island’s beaches.

I feel we’ve only scratched the surface.